Into the Den

They're bringing the Dragon's Den concept to New Zealand.
Thinking caps on people....

In a bizarre experiment I watched the programme before it last night - the super nanny one. It was my first time, and I don't think I'll be allowed to again. There was yelling.

Honestly. If you can't control your first 2 children, breeding another 3 won't make it easier. The older ones won't take care of the younger ones. Instead they'll form a coalition and vote you off the island. And suresly breaking one leag of each of them would be a justified means to keep them on the naughty stool.

It's a cultural thing

Both my regular readers will notice a recent (liek the last 10 minute) flurry of posting at One Moment Caller.

I am not to blame - it is endemic of being a New Zealander. Just like drinking I go from nothing to too much. It's a cultural thing.

Mike the headless chicken

One from the kinda gross yet still kinda cool files: In 1945 a chicken in America was beheaded to eat, as was the fashion of the day. The head chopping went a bit awry (the chopper's mother-in-law quite liked chicken necks) and the chicken did not die for a further 18 months. It kept its head under its wing. Its name was Mike.

Hidden costs

There are heaps of online resources telling you what to look for when buying a house, and what you'll need to take to your bank to get the mortgage, and what extra costs to expect for things like lawyers etc.

What all of them has failed to mention is the hidden coffee cost. Every rushed lunchtime meeting with a lawyer, real estate agent, architect, or mobile mortgage manager is followed by a quick coffee and sandwich to debrief. So far that's cost us more than anything (except the LIM report).

I suspect there may also be a hidden alcohol cost looming once we get into said house and are unable to go out and drink.

Dawn Parade

Made it (just) to the Dawn Parade yesterday, which I've been promising myself I'd do for a few years now. I must admit to being partly motivated by Caffe L'Affare's PR masterstroke of offering free coffee, but it was beautiful, haunting and sad. And not raining.